U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an ABI and Truck Manifest CSMS message stating that the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Certification Environment will be unavailablefrom 8:00 a.m. EDT on May 27, 2008 through 8:00 a.m. EDT on June 3, 2008. CBP asks that the trade plan their test activities accordingly. (CSMS 08-000066, dated 04/30/08, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17074&page=&srch_argv=08-000066&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice announcing that the next meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC)1 will be held on May 9, 2008 in Washington, DC.
On April 9, 2008, at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America's Annual Conference, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Basham spoke about the need to address some of CBP's dated Customs broker policies and laws. Highlights of his remarks include:
On April 9, 2008, at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America's Annual Conference, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Basham spoke about the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program. Highlights of his remarks include:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a presentation regarding its Global Online Enrollment System (GOES), which allows registered users to, among other things, enter their own applications and submit fee payments for CBP's Trusted Traveler Programs.
At an April 2, 2008 hearing of a House Subcommittee on Homeland Security1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Jayson Ahern testified on cargo and border security issues, including the development of Crane-Mounted Radiation Detection Technology.
At an April 2, 2008 hearing of a House Subcommittee on Homeland Security1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Jayson Ahern testified on cargo and border security issues, including CBP's Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program and mutual recognition with other countries' customs-to-business partnership programs.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a Rail Manifest CSMS message announcing that early in the morning of April 10, 2008, it began to experience a back-up in the MQ channel that handles rail messages.
The European Community maintains a Customs and Security Web site which provides updated information on EC customs and security measures, initiatives, legislation, tariffs and duties, etc.
According to a Journal of Commerce article, C-TPAT members should be able to avoid terminal demurrage charges - assuming that the seal on the container remains intact - as C-TPAT members are allowed to remove containers on a bill of lading that are not targeted for a Customs inspection to an off-dock storage yard, where demurrage charges are substantially less. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/08/07 news, 07080805, for most recent BP summary on this benefit.) (JoC dated 03/24/08, www.joc.com.)